


All is Fair in Love and Chess

by CollabHell



Category: Warcross - Marie Lu
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2020-05-18 16:05:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19337893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CollabHell/pseuds/CollabHell
Summary: We all know the love stories of Hideo and Emika, Roshan and Tremaine, and Jax and Sasuke. But what about Hammie and Asher?





	All is Fair in Love and Chess

**Author's Note:**

> In Warcross, Hammie mentions that she was a Titan. I wanted to explore that and see what I interpreted that as. So this happened. Plus, I love Hammer and really wanted to do this. This happens three years before Emika's games. Tremaine is not on drugs yet, and him and Roshan are together. I do not own any of these characters or places, except Chrissy and Simone, who I made up for this story. Enjoy!

'Checkmate! Ha! In your face Oliver!' I grin as I see the completely devastated look on my captain's face. I've won! For the third time today, but that doesn't mean I don't take pride in beating him.  
'Oh come on Hamilton! Let's go again. I'm not stopping until I beat you!' I roll my eyes and make an exaggerated groaning noise.

'You know I love chess, but I don't want to play it forever.' Oliver narrows his eyes at me.

'Speed chess then,' he offers. I suppress a grin. That's exactly what I was hoping he'd say. I push my curls back out of my face, and lean forward.

'Alright. I'm not very good though.' I'm very confident that I can beat him, especially since he has no clue how good I actually am at speed chess. Off to my side, I fix up my black pieces while he sets up his matching white ones.

'White goes first. Ready, set, go!'  
Oliver moves one of his pawns out two spaces.  
I smile. I move my left knight out and to the right, preventing his pawn from moving any further  
He moves the pawn next to it forward one space.  
I move my knight right one space and forward three. I take his pawn. Oliver doesn't notice what I'm trying to do, and moves his far left pawn out two spaces. Yes! I move my knight in it's L-shape and take another pawn. Now I'm face to face with his knight. Hopefully he won't notice—

'Teams are out!' I glance over to the lounge, where Chrissy has been waiting anxiously for the announcement of who is on what team for the Championships this year. I look back at Oliver, who makes one last move. And his bishop takes my knight. Fuck.

I gape at him. I don't know how I didn't see that.

'Yeah, you're really not as good as you think. Come one. Teams are out.' I narrow my eyes and then follow him over to the couch.

'Alright so, Chrissy you're our Shield again this year.' Chrissy does a little fist pump and dance.

'It's an honor to be serving you again Captain.'

'Simone, you're our— thief?' Simone, who has just entered the room stops and stares at me, as do Oliver and Chrissy.

'But, what about me? I'm always the thief!' I push Oliver out of the way and scroll rapidly through the listings. I'm not a Titan? What's happening?

'Hammie. Hammie. Hammie!' I turn and glare at Simone.

'What?' I say pointedly. She's gesturing at a team listing right at the top. There.

5th ANNUAL WARCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS  
PHOENIX RIDERS  
ASHER WING- CAPTAIN  
ROSHAN AHMADI- SHIELD  
TREMAINE BLACKBOURNE- ARCHITECT

And there it is. In capital letters in glowing blue text.  
HAMILTON JIMÉNEZ- THIEF

I gape at the display in front of me in a state of shock. I see Oliver to my left with a quizzical look on his face. I spin around to look him right in the face. And I start yelling.

'What the hell is going on! Oliver, did you know about this?' I don't know what's going on. I've seen them switch players before, when the player would work better with another team, or only created conflict in their current team. But I never thought that would happen to me.

'Hammie. Calm down please. It's not the end of the world.'

I scoff.

'Really Chrissy? Easy for you to say. You're still a Titan.'

Right then the computer starts buzzing. It's a video call from Henka Games. Great. I do not want to talk to them now. But too late. Simone has accepted the call. A full-body figure of Kenn Edon takes the place of the computer.

'Hey Simone! Can you get Hammie over here please?' Oh great. Just what I didn't want. I reluctantly walk over to his hologram.

'Hey Kenn. What's up?' I know exactly what's up.

'I take it you've seen the Team Announcements. If you could pack and be ready for the car to take you to the Phoenix Riders dorm in half-an-hour, that would be great!'  
I force a smile.

'Definitely.' I end the call and turn to my— now former— teammates.

'Well I guess that's that.'

'Hammie—'

'No Chrissy. Leave it alone. I'll be fine.' I push past her and move toward the stairway. I run up and into my room. I pull my suitcase off the top of the wardrobe and start cramming everything that means something to me. Photos of my family, and of my team. The chessboard my mum had given me; with glass pieces and no augmented reality.

I run my hand along it now, and I feel a lump rise in the back of my throat. Dammit. I can't cry. I've got to be strong. I place the board to the side, then cram my clothes and other belongings in the case. I rest the board gently on top, so as not to break the pieces. Then I sit on the case and zip it shut. That's when the tears come. I don't know how long I sit there before I hear a car horn outside. Surely it hadn't been 30 minutes already. I wipe my tears and will myself to get up. I take a deep breath, pick up my case and walk downstairs.  


I hurry past my former teammates, not wanting them to see my face. They try to stop me, but I rush past. I stop in the doorway. I can hear my friends murmuring behind me, but I won't turn back.  


Be strong. You're Hamilton Jiménez, and they are a rival team now, I tell myself. I take another deep breath, and walk out of the door.  


I don't look back.


End file.
